Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Baltimore Activist Alert

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours.

The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the BaltimoreNonviolenceCenter. Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD21218. Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski [at] verizon.net.

3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR]. It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed. It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to the war in Iraq.

To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to donmuller@msn.com. Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.

THE NOTICES LIST will include only notices of NCNR actions and related information and is open to any interested person to subscribe. It will be moderated to maintain focus & will include periodic notices about getting involved in NCNR national organizing. To join the NOTICES List, send an email message to ncnrnotices-subscribe@lists.riseup.net. You will get a confirmation message once subscribed. If you have problems, please write to the list manager atncnrnotices-admin@lists.riseup.net.

Be sure you indicate ground (G) or bean (B) for each type of coffee ordered. Make the check out to HoCoFoLA and send it with your order form to Nancy Meier, 10 Pepperdine Circle, Catonsville, MD21228. Contact Pat McLaine at 410-964-0960 or pamcl@aol.com. The coffee will arrive some time the following week and you will be notified where to pick it up.

5] –Brad Hathaway spearheads an effort to sell donated used stamps to raise money for different humanitarian causes around the world. Go to www.mattapoisettquakers.org, and click the link for the stamp ministry. Carefully clip canceled postage stamps and send to Quaker Missions, PO Box 795, Mattapoisett, MA02739. Send no small flag stamps or LibertyBell Forever stamps.

6] – Catch the "Bringing the World Home" exhibit in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps! The exhibit is in the UMBC Library Rotunda through the end of the semester and consists of 5 display cases featuring photos and artifacts from UMBC's faculty, staff and students who have served in the Peace Corps, including many current and alumni Shriver Peaceworker Fellows. The center case features pieces from the Peace Corps founding era (a tribute to Sarge Shriver!) and the surrounding case highlight experiences from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and the Americas. If you are coming from off campus, give Joby Taylor a call at (410) 455-6398, and he will give you a tour.

7] –Center Stage, 700 N. Calvert St., is showing SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, adapted by Kevin McKeon from David Guterson's acclaimed story during World War II in which a Japanese American is accused of murder.The play will run through Apr. 3, and ticket prices range from $14 to $55. Call 410-332-0033 or go to www.centerstage.org.

8] –There is a vigil to say "War Is Not the Answer" each Tuesday since September 11, 2001 at 4806 York Road. Join this ongoing vigil. The next vigil is Mar. 22 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Call Max at 410-366-1637.

9] – Youth in Baltimore are not a problem to be fixed. They are resources and deserve as much opportunity as anyone else. If you agree, you should be at the next SCORE! Mixer on Tues., Mar. 22 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Cork Gallery, 4th Floor (Buzzer #9), 302 E. Federal St. SCORE! is a fellowship of community members committed to creating opportunity rich environments throughout Baltimore. REGISTER at https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6884/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=39699

10] – Author Malalai Joya was to discuss her book "A Woman Among Warlords The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice" on Tues., Mar. 22 at 6:30 PM at Busboys & Poets, Langston Room, 14th @ V Sts.However, the U.S. government refused to grant her a visa.It remains unclear if this event will take place.Go to http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/book/9781439109472.

11] – On Tues., Mar, 22 from 7 to 9 PM, hear Prospects of Political Settlement in Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Central Baptist Church (Lower Hall), 106 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, PA. There will be refreshments at 7PM. The presentation will be made by Dr. Hafeez Malik, professor emeritus at VillanovaU., whose latest book is U.S. Relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan: The Imperial Dimensions (2008). One of the sponsors is the Bryn Mar Peace Coalition.Go to www.brynmawrpeace.org. Contact Jane Dugdale at tjdugdale@verizon.net or 610-527-4170.

12] --Pray for Peace at 7:30 PM on Tues., Mar. 22 at St. John's United Methodist Church, 27th & St. Paul Sts..Contact Charles Cloughen at 410-321-0199 or frcharles@verizon.net.

13] –Elliott Adams, national president of Veterans for Peace will speak at the Frederick Friends Meetinghouse, 723 N. Market St., Frederick 21701 on Tues., Mar. 22 from 7:30 to 9:30 PM.On the 8th anniversary of the Iraq invasion and war and as part of the 2011 Frederick-area Seasons For Peace and Nonviolence, the CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PEACEMAKING, the PEACE AND SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE of FREDERICK FRIENDS MEETING AND FREDERICK COUNTY CAMPAIGN FOR LIBERTY are co-sponsoring the talk. While the event is free, donations to Veterans For Peace would be graciously accepted.Contact Dan Frasier at 301-662-4430 or dsfpeace at yahoo.com.Light refreshments will be provided.

14] –Singing, Voting, and Defying the Taliban is happening Tues., Mar. 22 from 8:30 to 10:30 PM at Mortara Center, 3600 N. St., NW.Can an American Idol spin off unite a country, promote women, and enable citizens to experience democracy? The award-winning documentary AFGHAN STAR answers these questions as it follows contestants on the program as they compete, campaign, and even face death threats. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Daoud Sediqi, the former emcee of Afghan Star, who defected to the U. S. and now works for Voice of America, Rina Amiri from the State Department's Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Eva Weigold Schultz from the US-Afghan Women's Council, Georgetown Professors Katrin Sieg, who is writing a book on the impact of Eurovision, and Cynthia Schneider, cultural diplomacy expert who attended the Afghan Star finals in Kabul on March 21.RSVP at http://events.georgetown.edu/events/index.cfm?Action=View&CalendarID=242. Seating is limited. Refreshments will be served.

15] –On Wed., Mar. 23 at noon, there will a protest & street theater @ the World Bank, 1818 H St. NW [corner of Penn. Ave. & H St. NW.Use the Metro and exit at Farragut West (blue/orange) or Farragut North (red line). During the demo, a U.S.gold mining corporation will be inside the World Bank suing El Salvador for millions of dollars for defending their land, water & people. Come out to protest corporate abuses allowed by the US-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in solidarity with Salvadoran popular movement protests for regional sovereignty during Obama's March 23 visit to El Salvador. Contact the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) at lisa@cispes.org or 202-521-2510.

16] –The Cost of not Engaging Hamas is a discussion to be held on Wed., Mar. 23 at 12:30 PM on the Georgetown Campus, ICC 270.

Jeroen Gunning will address the question and look critically at the arguments against engaging Hamas before showing how non-engagement, coupled to the international blockade of Gaza, has served – leaving aside the effect on the general population of Gaza – to strengthen the hardliners within the organization, to expand Hamas's control over Gaza, and to deepen the fragmentation of the Palestinian territories. The speaker will then look at an example of engagement by the Swiss government before concluding that, given the cost of non-engagement, the potential benefits of engagement outweigh the costs of engagement. To RSVP, go to https://www12.georgetown.edu/sfs/rsvp/index.cfm?Action=View&EventID=3313.

18] – Extend, Amend, or Repeal? The PATRIOT Act is a discussion scheduled for Wed., Mar. 23 from 6 to 7:30 PM at the GewirzStudentCenter, 12th Floor, 120 F St. NW, WDC20001. The panel will consist of Professor Nathan Sales, George Mason U. School of Law, Professor Steve Vladeck, WashingtonCollege of Law at AmericanU., and Michelle Richardson, legislative counsel, ACLU.Go to www.bordc.org.

19] – There will be a Libya Forum: Stop U.S./France Bombing Africa! on Wed., Mar. 23 at 7 PM at the SolidarityCenter, 2011 N. Charles St. Lower Level. The Thursday meeting on Wisconsin has been postponed to next week. Hear Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire and contributing editor to Workers World newspaper. U.S. backed regimes in Yemen, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are murdering protesters in the streets today. Call 443-909-8964 or email apcbaltimore@pipeline.com.

20] –Each Wednesday, the Northwest Greens hold a peace vigil from 7 to 8 PM outside the Borders Book Store, Germantown Ave. at Bethlehem Pike in Chestnut Hill, PA. The next vigil is Mar. 23. Call 215-843-4256 or email nwgreens@yahoo.com.

21] --Consider being on a National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance conference call on Wed., Mar. 23 at 9 PM EST to continue to plan a climate chaos action of nonviolent civil resistance at the Pentagon on Apr. 8, calling for an end to the wars and for an end to policies that make the Pentagon the biggest polluter of our earth.Call Max at 410-366-1637 or email him at mobuszewski at verizon.net to get the call-in number and access code.

22] –Come to a free screening about the history that history forgot: COINTELPRO 101 will have a series of DC Metro Area showings through Tues., Mar. 29.COINTELPRO was a series of covert, and often illegal, projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic political organizations. The tactics used included discrediting targets through psychological warfare, planting false reports in the media, smearing through forged letters, harassment, wrongful imprisonment, extralegal violence and assassination. On Thurs., Mar. 24 at noon, see the film at the Institute for Policy Studies, 1112 16th St. NW, Suite 600, WDC. The post screening discussion will be led by Phyllis Bennis, Clarence Lusane and Marcus Raskin. RSVP to netfa@ips-dc.org.Visit http://www.FreedomArchives.org/Cointelpro.html.

23] – The WEEKLY ROUNDTABLE SEEKING A JUST PEACE IN PALESTINE/ISRAEL takes place from 12:30 - 1:30 PM on Thursdays at Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Road NW, WDC. Join a civil discourse which explores the history, issues, myths, realities, and truth of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Contact Alice Azzouzi at 202-232-5483.

24] – U.S. bombs have been dropped on Libya, and the death toll is rising quickly. Join a demonstration on Thurs., Mar. 24 at 5 PM at McKeldin's Square, Pratt and Light Sts. to demand an immediate end to the attack.It is called by A.N.S.W.E.R. Baltimore.

25] –Narratives from Zimbabwe and Burma will be heard on Thurs., Mar. 24 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Cullen Room, Busboys and Poets, at K St., 1025 5th St. NW, WDC 2000.McSweeney's Voice of Witness, US Campaign for Burma, and IPS' Foreign Policy in Focus project invite you to a reading and discussion of two new books. Contact Maggie Lemere at 978-760-3034.

26] –Stand with Japan on Thurs., Mar. 24 from 6:30 to 8 PM at during the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Washington Monument, followed by a walk around the Tidal Basin in the spirit of hope and rebuilding. Gather at the Sylvan Theater, 15th St. and Independence Ave., SW, before walking to the TidalBasin. All donations received throughout the fundraising effort will go directly to the National Cherry Blossom Festival Red Cross Online Donation Site, directly benefiting the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund.People are encouraged to gather to reflect and participate in the walk around the TidalBasin, where the cherry blossom trees, gifted to Washington, DC from Tokyo in 1912, have stood the test of time for 99 years. The 16-day celebration begins on Sat., Mar. 26. The festival hotline number is 877-44bloom.

28] –On Thurs., Mar. 24 at 7:30 PM, attend "The Vegetarian Myth: Food Justice and Sustainability" at Buchner Hall, Alumnae/i House, GoucherCollege.Lierre Keith, a radical environmentalist and author of THE VEGETARIAN MYTH, will give a talk about the politics of agriculture, nutrition and sustainability. Keith argues that agriculture is the most destructive thing humans have done to the planet because it requires the wholesale eradication of ecosystems and destroys topsoil, which is the basis of life. This event is sponsored by Earthworks. Go to http://www.goucher.edu/x23335.xml.